Students at one entire school ? Worthington Elementary School in Ellicott City ? scored 100 percent on the state reading test.
“Worthington?s performance is remarkable,” said Deputy Superintendent Sandra Erickson referring to the first Howard public school to accomplish this goal.
“The students, teachers and administration are to be congratulated for this achievement.”
While Howard had the only school proficient in reading in the Baltimore region, other county schools had single grades that were 100 percent proficient in the Maryland School Assessment tests in math and reading for grades 3 through 8.
In Harford, all fifth-graders at Darlington Elementary School tested proficient in math and reading. All third-graders also earned a proficient score in math.
“Being a small school [with about 150 students] and a stable community, they?re able to do one-on-one [work] with students the way some other schools may not be,” said Don Morrison, Harford schools spokesman.
In Baltimore County, Fifth District, Seventh District, Timonium, Carroll Manor, Summit Park, Fullerton and Middleborough elementary schools and Eastwood Center had grades that were 100 percent proficient in reading and math.
“This progression demonstrates that we are achieving success in advocating achievement for all students,” said Cara Calder, Baltimore County schools spokeswoman.
Anne Arundel?s Benfield, Shipley?s Choice and Pershing Hill elementary schools also had grades with 100 percent proficiency in reading and math.
“If you look at the MSA in terms of categories, we went up in 11 of the 12,” said Anne Arundel schools spokesman Bob Mosier.
The 12 categories result from two tests, reading and math, for the six different grades taking the MSA. The only category that the school system didn?t improve in was fifth grade math.
In terms of the most struggling schools, the lowest percentage of students who scored at least proficiently were:
? Annapolis Middle School eighth-graders at 49.4 percent in math for Anne Arundel;
? Cradlerock School eighth-graders at 46.7 percent in math for Howard;
? Edgewood Middle School eighth-graders at 39.9 percent in math for Harford and
? Golden Ring Middle eighth-graders at 22.1 percent in math for Baltimore County.
COUNTY MSA SCORES
Percent of all students who were proficient or advanced on MSA in 2008
Anne Arundel County
- Elementary math 89.6 percent up 0.9 percent
- Elementary reading 90.8 percent up 3.1 percent
- Middle math 77.8 percent up 4.6 percent
- Middle reading 80.9 percent up 5 percent
Baltimore County
- Elementary math 84.5 percent up 1.6 percent
- Elementary reading 87 percent up 3.8 percent
- Middlemath 66.9 percent up 7.6 percent
- Middle reading 78.2 percent up 4.3 percent
Carroll County
- Elementary math 92.2 percent up 3.6 percent
- Elementary reading 92.9 percent up 6.8 percent
- Middle math 81.2 percent up 6.2 percent
- Middle reading 91 percent up 7.2 percent
Harford County
- Elementary math 90.3 percent up 4.5 percent
- Elementary reading 89.3 percent up 3.9 percent
- Middle math 86.2 percent up 6.2 percent
- Middle reading 73percent up 5.7 percent
Howard County
- Elementary math 89.4 percent up less than 1
- Elementary reading 92.9 percent up 3 percent
- Middle math 83.6 percent up 2.6 percent
- Middle reading 89.2 percent up 4 percent
Source: Maryland Department of Education
Staff Writer Mike Silvestri contributed to this report.
